Do Pharmacists get paid to recommend products?

[mslone85]

My daughter has really bad acne and being the great mother that I am, I took her to the Dermatologist to get her proper treatment. The doctor perscribed Accutane so we went to Walgreens to fill the perscription and the Pharmacist was overly insistent that we try an over the counter product called "Clear" by Aleavia. He almost refused to fill the perscription and really insisted that we use the aleavia product first and then if that didnt work to come back and fill the perscription. I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of a pharmacist getting paid to endorse a product? I didn't end up buying the stuff and got the perscription filled but now im wondering if i made a mistake...? Your thoughts?

[pepsimax]

Did you think to ask why he recommends that one over the one prescribed? I know here in the UK they aren't and I also know accutane is a harsh drug and maybe he was trying to prevent your daughter using it.

[mslone85]

Didn't think of that, do you think i should not have my daughter use Accutane? I think ill give the aleavia stuff a try, i found a free sample of it on their website too so ill try that. thanks for the help!

[pepsimax]

In my opinion it depends on the severity of your daughters acne and also what other products she has tried. I used Accutane, brand name Roaccutane, many years ago after exhausting all other creams and pills. This is what the UK health service says about the drug. http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?condition=Acne&medicine=Roaccutane&preparationRoaccutane%2020mg%20capsules
Its worth reading the side effects before your daughter takes it, so you understand it and are ready to help with the them.
Overall I would say that Accutane is worth taking but only if its as a last resort. It does work but sometimes the side effects are harsh while on treatment. So its a matter of working out how they will compare to the results you will get. If you need any further advice on this or anything else, please stick around as there are some great people here always willing to offer good advice.

[mslone85]

Hey Pepsimax, Thanks for the article, I am worried about the side affects of Accutane on my daughter. I would rather give her something All Natural anyway so i think i will get a free sample on their website and at least try it out... if that doesnt work ill give Accutane a shot. Thanks again!

[pepsimax]

The main problem I had was dry very skin all over. I had to use a good moisturiser two or three times a day to keep it normal. This includes the lips and inside the nose. :) Everything returned to normal a few month after treatment finished.

For the results I got after treatment ended (I was on them around 8 months) I felt it was worth it but it was tough at the time. The result are noticeable quite quickly but treatment needs to be continued for a while to completely work.
Someone with more experience on the drug itself can help you out better. There are a couple here but they could be busy so give them a few days to see this.

I don't want to scare you off taking Accutane but I have noticed a huge difference between the medical system in the US and UK. Medical insurance there may prevent people trying more options before taking drastic measures but with anything you take or use, its worth checking out the side effects on a reputable site (like our National Health Service site... http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx ) so you know what to expect.

Talking of other medications. Has your daughter tried Duac Gel? I recently got prescribed that as my hormones are all over the place and I am getting the odd spot. I find for me it works well and from what I remember reading it has no side effects. The only thing with the gel is it has a 2 month life but if its used daily on most of the face there isn't much left anyway.

Out of interest how old if your daughter and is there an area that is particularly bad and do you know of any triggers?